Reality Check...

milasavesmoney · 17 August 2016 at 3:42PM

reality_check wrote: »

Thanks Louby! Never heard of The Killing but will be needing something new after Prison Break so will check it out.

I am looking forward to Barcelona, been a few times and I know it can be pricey. Well can be as expensive as you make it but my friends don't understand the word BUDGET! Not that I do much lol but I am def learning.

My plan for the remainder of the year to tackle debt is as follows -

September - £700
October - £1200
November - £1200
December - £300

Each month includes my direct debits of £200 plus an extra £100 as interest free period ends on one part of my Barclays card then.

In December whatever commission is left I will budget for Christmas, should be about £800. Not the best way by not budgeting in advance but it is the route I am going down this year.

If all goes to plan my debt should be -

Barclays £3100
Virgin £2300
Santander £2000
Loan £3000

Fingers crossed I can pull this off, means by debt will end the year on £10,400 which is a big difference from January when it was at £18,675.63. It is only August and a lot can change but this is the plan! September is a lower month because...I'm getting Botox and a lip filler and will come in about £500. I have had it before and I know a lot of people may frown (def won't be me!!) upon this in general never mind paying all that money when in debt, but oh well...looks like I'm growing old disgracefully!!!

:T:T:T:T:T. Superstar!!!!!!

reality_check · 20 August 2016 at 11:05AM

So, spent half the food budget! Apart from about £15 on fresh stuff this should last a good 2 and a bit weeks.

I also made my first sale!!! Found wallpaper that I meant to return and sold it on a Facebook site for £70!!

Wish I had more things I could sell!! Might have another look.........

reality_check · 20 August 2016 at 11:46AM

I also went for a facial yesterday which was £30. It was half price with free products...sounded better than it was with the free products, I got 6 sachet samples - the kind you would get in a magazine stuck inside. It was really good and my skin feels amazing! I used to always pay £35, but this was a fancy place I had never been before. It was worth £30 but def not £60! I paid by card and never left a tip...felt a bit bad but oh well.

Also got my hair cut, dry cut and cost £12 left £1.50 tip and then got my eyebrows threaded and tinted for £10 with a £1 tip. I am being a bit tight on the tips...needs must.

My dog has a hair cut booked in for next week at £40...more than mine!! And he also needs food next week. All budgetted for, dogs are expensive, good job he's more than worth it xxx

Flowers123 · 21 August 2016 at 5:52PM

Hi Reaitycheck. I've loved reading your diary. I can relate to the handbags. I used to think nothing of it spending over £1k on a bag :rotfl: how times have changed! You're doing really well with paying off your debt. I started a diary a few weeks ago as I really need to get a grip and stop buying clothes and bags and pay off my huge amount of debt. It's very hard and I saw the new collection for Te* B@ker yesterday but I walked away :T I'll be subscribing to your diary. Flowersx

Poor_Single_lady · 21 August 2016 at 6:09PM

Hi Reality. I just caught up on all your activities. I don't know if we are similar but i think a lot of the things you spend money on i do too. I love facials and not had botox but do plan to. I am hoping to have some minor cosmetic surgery next year when I have paid some debt off and am a bit more in control. I think its important to be happy and completely get why this is your priority. I say do it, love it and don't feel guilty. We all have to live as well as pay the debts. xxx

roomontheend · 21 August 2016 at 6:43PM

Oh dam, I wrote a large ish message yesterday but its gone into thin air. Anyway the long story short is I often go to the local college for facials and massages. The students are all under supervision as they are being assessed. The prices are amazing at £10 for microdermabrasion and £16 for a full body aromatherapy massage. Do you have anywhereuke this near you so that you can cut back and still get all the treatments you like.

note3 · 28 August 2016 at 7:38PM

Hey where have you gone lady???

reality_check · 29 August 2016 at 3:22PM

I'm back, and back to work tomorrow...summer is officially over. In work we are working towards OCTOBERS pay, where has the year gone?!

Thanks for all your messages sorry took so long to reply!!

Flowers - Well done for resisting! I do love a good designer bag, I actually think bags, shoes/boots and jackets are investments, not so much clothes I am a walking Zara advert most days. I can't wait to be back in the black one day and buy treats guilt free. Save up for them and not wack onto a credit card!

PSL - Thanks for that! Sometimes I do feel guilty for spending money being vain lol but it makes me feel confident so worth it to me.

Room on the end - I do know about going to college for treatments but never looked into it. I just have images of being stuck in a classroom! Do they have treatment rooms?

So, as I said I am back, Barcelona was great, budget...not so great! I budgetted £250 spends, I spent £400. This did include a takeaway the night I came home so lumping it in with the holiday money.

I have had to lump all my budgets together and have 16 days until pay day. My essential spends are -
£40 petrol (I hope this will be enough)
£80 dog walking - he is full time for a few weeks since DD on hol, DS working and can't leave dog all day.
£40 food - this is for fresh fruit & veg and chicken as I only like to buy chicken 1 day before I need it but ideally on the day. Would be good to come in under this but I think this is semi realistic!
£20 for wine and taxi's this weekend going to my friends.

Providing nothing crops up I am over budget by -£212.00. I am going to hunt high and low and see if I have anything to sell...times like this I wish I had hoards of stuff to sell! Then again I watch those ch4 Hoarders programs and feel sick so maybe not!

Off to make soup for lunches this week with all the stray veg I can find in the fridge and organise it from being shopping today. Went to Lidl and spent £45 this morning and about £35 of this was on fresh fruit/veg so you can imagine the quanties I have got for my money in Lidl! Health kick is ready to come back into action as have overindludged wayyyy too much recently.

Lidl had fresh corn 3 for £1 haven't ate this in years and love it with loads of butter and black pepper, when you add butter onto veg the calories don't count, right?! So dinner tonight is nandos chicken, corn and either rice or sweet potato.

Hope you're all well, need to get back into this diary to get me back into the swing of things xx

note3 · 29 August 2016 at 7:37PM

I'm intrigued now...do you live quite minimalistically. ..such as if you open a draw there's not much in it? I often wonder where other people's 'stuff' I'd and how they survive without keeping odds and ends when I go to houses that are minimalist

Shame Barcelona was almost double your intended budget!

reality_check · 30 August 2016 at 1:54PM

I know it is bad about going over budget but was my own fault and I wasn't over causious but I wasn't anything like the old me either...baby steps.

I just don't really have stuff. I only really own clothes, shoes, a laptop and an ipad. I'm not sentimental at all so don't keep anything! My loft has my Christmas tree and a box of pictures everything else that I don't want I bin. I used to constantly redecorate and give old stuff to my mum or sister, same with clothes...wish I shoved them up in the loft and could sell now!

Went to the gym before work to a 5.45 spin class - horrific!! Starting to feel the burn in my legs now so who knows what I will be like tomorrow!!

Need to go get petrol soon, I would be driving home in fumes if not. Opened a Santander statement for my credit card...they are so inconsitent when I get them, think it's because I never use the card?! My balance is £1900 better than £2000 I thought and interest free runs out on 21st January so at least gives me January pay which I thought I never had before getting paid on the 15th to get rid of it!

Reality Check...

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free